SPORT | 18

Top ranked

Rahm going

places in

a hurry

SPORTRoot hails

'Mr Incredible'

after Old

Trafford win

SPORT | 19

WEDNESDAY 22 JULY 2020

Marquez aiming for August return after successful surgeryREUTERS – BARCELONA

MotoGP champion Marc Marquez could be back in action next month after his Repsol Honda

team reported successful surgery to his right arm yesterday.

Marquez suffered the injury when he crashed four laps from the end of the season-opening Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez on Sunday.

The six times MotoGP champion had surgery in Bar-celona, with the radial nerve not affected - a boost for the rider’s hopes of an early return, although he is sure to miss the second round at the same southern circuit this weekend. Honda said the Spaniard, who had a titanium plate fixed internally to his right humerus, would remain in hospital for up to 48 hours.

“His aim is to return to the 2020 World Champi-onship as soon as possible with an expected date becoming clearer soon,” the team added.

That could be the third round of the season in the Czech Republic on August 9.

“Our goal, in principle, would be to see if he can be fit to be in Brno,” surgeon Xavier Mir told Catalunya Radio before the operation. Repsol Honda boss Alberto Puig indicated the team would not replace Marquez for race two at Jerez, with the focus on the Spaniard’s younger brother and team mate Alex.

“Marc will take some time to recover but we are happy with how it all went,” Puig told marca.com.

REUTERS – BARCELON

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A year to go, Tokyo Games still face uncertaintyREUTERS – TOKYO

Tokyo 2020 organisers will host cele-brations marking the one-year countdown to the Olympics tomorrow but with the postponed Games still shrouded in uncertainty they are sure to be more muted than the first attempt 12 months ago.

On July 24 last year, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach presided over a glitzy ceremony in the Japanese capital and declared Tokyo the best prepared host city he had ever seen.

Even six months ago, when fire-works exploded over a giant, luminous set of Olympic rings in Tokyo Bay, organisers were still bullish that their huge financial investment would deliver an unforgettable Games.

Just two months later, however, plans that had been almost a decade in the making were shredded as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the IOC and Japanese government to take the unprecedented decision to postpone the Olympics for a year.

Since the postponement in late March, all 42 venues for the Games have been secured and the competition schedule announced, with the opening ceremony set to take place at the 156.9 billion yen ($1.44bn) National Stadium on July 23.

Beyond that, though, questions

remain about almost every aspect of hosting what Bach calls the “most complex event on this planet”.

The head of the IOC’s Coordination Commission John Coates has said rear-ranging the Games meant focusing on the “must haves” in a simplified event.

In response, Tokyo 2020 Chief Executive Toshiro Muto said over 200 simplification measures were under consideration.

What has yet to be decided is how much rearranging the Games is going to cost the Japanese taxpayer.

The IOC have said their share of the

costs will be some $800m but organ-isers have repeatedly refused to put a number on the final bill for Japanese stakeholders.

The Games were already set to cost over 1.35 trillion yen before the post-ponement and increased expenditure might further alienate a public already turning their backs on an Olympics they once embraced enthusiastically.

A recent poll conducted by Kyodo News found that fewer than one in four favoured holding the Games as scheduled next year.

A third believed the Olympics

should be postponed again -- which Bach has warned is not an option -- with another third wanting the Games cancelled outright.

In addition to costs, three major issues dominate any conversation on the rearranged Games -- athlete safety, spectators and sponsorship.

Organisers have said all efforts will be made to ensure the 11,000 athletes will be able to travel safely to Tokyo and compete in world class surroundings.

As expert after expert has pointed out, however, it is difficult to see how this can be accomplished without the development and global distribution of an effective COVID-19 vaccine.

The same is true of the desire to have thousands of spectators in the sta-diums to cheer on those athletes.

Loss of ticket revenue would be a major blow to the organising committee and that would be compounded if they cannot keep on board the record-breaking number of Games sponsors.

A poll conducted by Japanese public broadcaster NHK last month found two-thirds of Tokyo 2020’s corporate sponsors were undecided on whether to continue their support.

The challenges facing Olympics organisers are unprecedented but under questioning from athletes, fans and sponsors, they know they need to find some answers soon.

Al Rayyan eye pointsas QSL restart loomsTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

Al Rayyan, trailing by just four points behind the table toppers Al Rayyan, will be aiming for full points when the QNB Stars League (QSL) action returns following a long break of 139 days.

The eight-time champions, Al Rayyan will meet Qatar SC on the first day of action in the 18th round of the League, as Qatar welcomes football following the stoppage which was due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The match will kick off at the Al Sadd Stadium at 7.00pm on Friday.

Al Rayyan, currently occu-pying the second spot in the QSL standings, have collected 38 from 11 wins and five draws. They have lost just one match this season.

They are the biggest threat for Al Duhail, who have also lost just one match out of 17, as the teams head for the final stretch of the QSL.

The Lions will be without their former skipper Rodrigo Tabata, whose contract with the club has ended by mutual consent. The team will depend much on Algerian attacking mid-fielder Yacine Brahimi, Ivorian forward Yohan Boli, Sebastian Soria and Abdulrahman Al Harazi.

Al Rayyan had beaten Qatar SC 5-0 in their previous meeting this season.

Qatar SC who are currently placed in the ninth spot, are not completely safe from the rele-gation threat.

The Kings, coached by former Qatar international Wesam Rizik, have accumulated 17 points thanks to four victories and five draws. They are three points above the relegation threatened Al Khor and Umm Salal, so will be keen to collect full points against Al Rayyan in Friday's clash as well as the remaining fixtures despite the underdog status. Ever since the new coach took over, Qatar SC had been performing well, so it

will be interesting to see how they confront the title-con-tenders Al Rayyan.

They will rely more on Bra-zilian Kayke Rodriguez and Uzbek Sardor Rashidov.

In the other match of the sday, Al Gharafa will meet Al Arabi at the Al Janoub Stadium in the early kick-off. Al Gharafa are fourth in the points table, behind Al Duhail, Al Rayyan and Al Sadd in that order, with 28 points. They are only four points adrift of reigning champions Al Sadd.

They also have four points more than closest challengers and fifth-placed side Al Arabi (24 points). Both teams will be eager to finish among the top four and thereby play in the elite Qatar Cup and AFC Champions League.

That will make the contest more interesting.

The League’s resumption is in accordance with the precau-tionary measures as per the general plan and protocol developed by the Qatar Stars League in co-operation with Ministry of Public Health. All remaining matches in the five rounds will be played at the Al Janoub and Al Sadd Stadiums.

Former England star Sanderson to feature on@GA4Good Instagram Live

THE PENINSULA – DOHA

Former England women’s footballer Lianne Sanderson will appear on this week’s Generation Amazing Instagram Live today.

Sanderson, who turned out for Arsenal, Chelsea and Juventus, will discuss key learnings from her career at both club and interna-tional level on @GA4good at 4.00pm.

She will also talk about gender equality – one of the core values of Generation Amazing, which is a FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 legacy programme.

Sanderson won an array of titles with Arsenal, including the FA Women’s Premier League and the UEFA Women’s Cup. With Juventus, Sanderson won Serie A and the Coppa Italia title.

The forward also won 50 caps for England and represented her country at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2007 and 2015, along with the UEFA Women’s Championships in 2009.

QSL FIXTURESFRIDAY

Al Gharafa vs Al Arabi (16:45, Al Janoub Stadium)

Qatar SC vs Al Rayyan (19:00, Al Sadd Stadium)

SATURDAYAl Duhail vs Umm Salal

(16:45, Al Janoub Stadium)Al Sadd vs Al Khor

(19:00, Al Sadd Stadium)SUNDAY

Al Wakrah vs Al Sailiya (16:45, Al Janoub Stadium)

Al Shahania vs Al Ahli (19:00, Al Sadd Stadium)

QNB STARS LEAGUE STANDINGS Pos Club M Won Lost Drew GF GA GD Pts1 Al Duhail 17 13 1 3 33 14 19 422 Al Rayyan 17 11 1 5 34 14 20 383 Al Sadd 17 10 5 2 45 27 18 324 Al Gharafa 17 8 5 4 29 24 5 285 Al Arabi 17 6 5 6 27 24 3 246 Al Sailiya 17 7 8 2 19 22 -3 237 Al Wakrah 17 5 8 4 24 27 -3 198 Al Ahli 17 5 8 4 22 29 -7 199 Qatar SC 17 4 8 5 16 22 -6 1710 Al Khor 17 3 9 5 19 27 -8 1411 Umm Salal 17 3 9 5 15 33 -18 1412 Al Shahania 17 1 9 7 17 37 -20 10

Al Rayyan's Algerian attacking midfielder Yacine Brahimi (left) and his team-mate Ahmad Abdel Maqsoud taking part in a training session ahead of the resumption of the QNB Stars League season. Pic: Twitter / @AlrayyanSC

A visitor is seen wearing a protective face mask in front of giant Olympic rings, at the waterfront area at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo, Japan, yesterday, two-days before the start of the one-year countdown to the Tokyo Olympics.

18 WEDNESDAY 22 JULY 2020SPORT

Giants’ Kapler becomes first manager to kneel during anthemREUTERS – SAN FRANSISCO

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said he would continue to speak out against racial injustice after joining his players in taking a knee during the national anthem before their exhibition game against the Oakland Athletics on Monday.

He became the first Major League Baseball manager to kneel during the anthem earlier this year in a show of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter campaign, which gained momentum after George Floyd’s death in police custody in May.

Kapler kneeled down during the anthem on Monday along with outfielders Austin Slater, Jaylin Davis and Mike Yastrzemski, as well as first base coach Antoan Richardson.

He said he informed the players of his plans before the game and offered his support whether they chose to kneel with him or remain standing.

“I spoke to the group and I gave them two messages. The first was that our coaching staff and organi-zation would support any statement they wanted to make,” Kapler said.

“The second message was what my plans were. I wanted them to know I wasn’t pleased with the way our country has handled police brutality. I told them I wanted to amplify their voices and ... the voice of the Black and marginalized communities.”

Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died in May after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, sparking global protests about racial inequality and police brutality.

Kapler, an outspoken backer of the Black Lives

Matter movement, is entering his first

season as the G i a n t s ’

manager.

Time away frommom hardest part of quarantine: James

REUTERS – LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (pictured) said the hardest part about quar-antining during the COVID-19 pandemic was the time he was forced to spend away from his mother.

The NBA was suspended in March in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak and three-times NBA champion James quarantined in Los Angeles, California, while his mother, Gloria, remained in Akron, Ohio.

“The only thing that I missed during the quarantine period was my mother,” James said.

“It was the first time I went that long in my life without seeing my mom.

“I hadn’t seen my mom since All-Star weekend then I saw her two weeks, three weeks before we had to report to our respective cities. That was extreme for me.”

“Coming from a single parent household, being an only child... for me to be away from her that long (was difficult). My mom, she kept me sane, because she said in due time we’ll join back again.”

The NBA will resume on July 30 at Disney World without spectators. Twenty-two of its 30 teams will play eight seeding games to determine a full 16-team playoff field that will follow the traditional post-season format with four best-of-seven series.

James’ Lakers, who lead the Western Con-

ference with a 49-14 record, face the Los A n g e l e s Clippers on their return to action.

FINA giving $6.5m in aid for athletesAGENCIES – LAUSANNE

Swimming governing body FINA is giving almost $6.5m to help athletes prepare for the postponed Tokyo Olympics.

FINA says it wants to help athletes who “endure hardships related to their training and competitive opportunities due to the pandemic.”

The plan includes $4m for at least 160 national federations to support athletes with expenses for training, competitions and living over the next year.

A further $2m will support 100 scholarships for athletes who currently do not have Olympic qualifying standards to prepare at national or continental centers. FINA supports regional bases in Russia, Senegal, Thailand and the United States.

Grants totalling $460,000 will go to continental swimming bodies to distribute.

NFL: Bennett retires after 11 seasonsAGENCIES – SEATTLE

Three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Michael Bennett said Tuesday that he is retiring after 11 seasons in the NFL.

Bennett, 34, rose to prom-inence as a valued and ver-satile lineman for the Seattle Seahawks from 2013-2017 and has 69.5 career sacks.

“Retiring feels a little like death of self, but I’m looking forward to the rebirth -- the opportunity to reimagine my

purpose,” Bennett posted to Instagram yesterday.

“I would like to thank my wife and children, who have sacrificed so much for me to succeed. I’m looking forward to supporting them the same way they have me these past 11 years. I have never been more at peace in my life.

“As the great Toni Morrison said: ‘Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.’”

Bennett finished last season with the Dallas Cowboys

following a midseason trade from the New England Patriots. He played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018.

In his final three seasons with Seattle, Bennett was a Pro Bowl selection. The Sea-hawks won Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 with Bennett as an anchor of the front four.

Prior to joining the Sea-hawks, Bennett was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He signed as an undrafted free agent from Texas A&M in 2009.

“The second meswhat my plans were.them to know I wasnwith the way our couhandled police brutathem I wanted to amvoices and ... the voBlack and margcommunities.”

Floyd, a 46-year-man, died in May aftepolice officer knelneck for nearly ninesparking global proteracial inequality anbrutality.

Kapler, an oubacker of the Bla

Matter moveentering

season G i a

ma

“The only thing that I missed during the quarantineperi dod was my y mo hther,”James said.

“It was the first time I went that long in my life without seeing my mom.

“I hadn’t seen mymom since All-Star weekend then I saw her two weeks, three weeks before we had to reportto our respective cities. That was extreme for me.”

seven series.James’ Lakers, who lead

hthe Western Con-ference with a

49-14 record, face the LosA n g e l e sClippers on their return to action.

Top ranked Rahm going places in a hurryAP – DUBLIN, OHIO

Jon Rahm made his first trip to Muir-field Village in a dark suit and a royal blue tie, no golf clubs.

He won the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation’s top college golfer. Rahm graduated from Arizona State in four years, despite speaking little English when he arrived on a campus so big he thought he was in a movie theater when he went to his first class in macroeconomics.

That was four years ago.Far more meaningful was meeting

Nicklaus behind the 18th green after an exquisite performance in the Memorial. Rahm built an eight-shot lead at the turn on the toughest Sunday at Muirfield Village in 42 years. He lost five shots of that lead in five holes. And then he showed equal parts grit and flair by getting up-and-down over the last four holes.

The victory sent him to No. 1 in the world.

It felt like a long time coming, even for the 25-year-old Rahm.

He was No. 1 in the amateur ranking for a record 60 weeks. Phil Mickelson, whose brother was Rahm’s coach at Arizona State, has been predicting

greatness since before he won the first of his 10 worldwide titles.

“He just doesn’t have a weakness,” Mickelson said on Sunday, the same thing he said in 2017 before Rahm won his first event at Torrey Pines with a 60-foot eagle putt on the last hole.

Rahm held it together when he was four shots behind on the 13th hole Sat-urday. He birdied the next four holes for a 68, which he considered the best round of his career given the wind and the fast, crusty turf. So in a span of 15 holes - six to end the third round, the front nine on Sunday - Rahm went from a four-shot deficit to an eight-shot lead.

He is an explosive player, with or without a golf club in hand.

Rahm is the fifth youngest player to reach No. 1 in the world, trailing Tiger Woods in 1997, Jordan Spieth in 2015, Rory McIlroy in 2012 and Justin Thomas in 2018. Woods, Spieth and McIlroy had won majors by then, and that’s the next step for Rahm.

For now, he is trying to process a lifetime ambition of being No. 1 in the world.

He recalled a conversation with his coach when he was in his early teens in Spain. The coach asked what he wanted to achieve.

“I said straight up, ‘I want to be the best player in the world.’ I made that deal with myself very young,” Rahm said.

McIlroy was 23 when he first reached No. 1 in the world at the Honda Classic in 2012, a year after his winning his first major, and he recalled the sen-sation of meeting a goal. The hard part is what comes next.

“It was weird,” McIlroy said Sunday. “Nothing changes. You’re still the

same. It was hard for me. It was a goal of mine at the start of 2012 and I achieved it pretty quickly. I actually struggled the first couple of months to reassess my goals.”

Rahm replacing him at No. 1 was not a surprise as much as a mild disap-pointment. Neither had played

particularly well coming out of the three months off from the COVID-19 pan-demic. The difference is Rahm won, and it was a big one.

Rahm surely has all the shots, a remarkable talent who doesn’t back down. He also is maturing, not just with his game but his emotions. Rahm has developed a reputation as a hothead - clubs buried into the turf, histrionics after poor shots - that will be difficult to shake. He has tried to tone it down without losing the positive energy that comes with it, and the weekend at Muirfield Village was ripe for anyone to lose it.

He won it with great discipline on the front nine, with that Spanish magic on the back nine. He built a big enough lead that a two-shot penalty assessed after the round - his ball moved ever so slightly when he put the wedge behind it before chipping in behind the 16th green - turned a five-shot victory into a three-shot victory. Rahm didn’t see the ball move until shown a close-up on a video screen. He accepted the penalty.

“I wish I could just keep that birdie because it was one of the greatest shots of my life, right?” he said.

So one of his greatest shots turned out to be a bogey. He can live with that.

Rahm is the fifth youngest player to reach No. 1 in the world, trailing Tiger Woods in 1997, Jordan Spieth in 2015, Rory McIlroy in 2012 and Justin Thomas in 2018. Woods, Spieth and McIlroy had won majors by then, and that’s the next step for Rahm.

19WEDNESDAY 22 JULY 2020 SPORT

BCCI seeks government's nod on IPL AFP - NEW DELHI

The Indian Premier League yesterday seized upon the post-ponement of the Twenty20 World Cup to propose holding its cash bonanza tournament in the United Arab Emirates from September.

IPL chairman Brijesh Patel said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India was seeking government permission to finally stage the event after mul-tiple hold-ups because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The board is confident it can assemble stars from around the world to line up for the eight IPL teams from late September to early November. The UAE would be hosting the IPL for the second time in six years.

“It will be held in the UAE but first the board will seek per-mission from the Indian gov-ernment to stage it there,” Patel said.

He added that the exact dates would be decided by the IPL’s governing council next week. Media reports have pre-dicted the IPL would run from

September 26 to November 7.Patel would not say whether

the games would be played behind closed doors. A final decision would rest with the UAE and Indian authorities.

The IPL is the BCCI’s main revenue earner. The Indian board has said it would lose more than $534m if this year’s tournament does not go ahead.

The seven-week tour-nament, which normally plays to packed stadiums across the country of 1.3 billion people, is estimated to generate more than $11bn for the Indian economy.

The BCCI had to wait until the International Cricket Council formally postponed the World Cup on Monday before announcing its new plan.

The World Cup was to be held in Australia from October, ahead of a second tournament in India in 2021 to get the World Cup onto a new calendar cycle.

Under the new arrange-ments, either Australia or India will host the next T20 World Cup in October-November 2021, then the other nation will hold it in 2022.

Cricket Australia’s acting chief executive Nick Hockley said yesterday that the post-ponement of the T20 World Cup was “absolutely inevitable”.

India has long been pressing for a decision, however, so that it can get the IPL back on track.

The IPL has been held outside India twice before when it clashed with national elec-tions. South Africa hosted the 2009 event and part of it was held in the UAE in 2014.

The 13th IPL should have started on March 29 but it has been repeatedly postponed because of a nationwide coro-navirus lockdown. With the pan-demic not expected to peak in India for several weeks, a tour-nament in India is considered too risky.

A host of international stars including England’s Ben Stokes and Australia’s Steve Smith and David Warner are signed up for the eight teams.

Australia’s Pat Cummins will be the most expensive overseas star this year. Kolkata Knight Riders agreeing a $2.17m fee for him in a December auction.

The IPL may clash with Aus-tralia’s Sheffield Shield and paceman Josh Hazlewood said it wouldn’t be easy to abandon the domestic tournament.

“IPL is such a huge part of the year for a lot of players and probably the strongest T20 com-petition in the world, up there

with the Big Bash,” Hazlewood, who plays for Chennai Super Kings, was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

“So if that takes a few games off us playing for New South Wales in the build-up to the international summer that’s a tough call.”

In this file photo taken on March 23, 2019, Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (left) and Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli are seen beside the IPL trophy ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match at the M A Chidhambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Cricket Australia welcomes ICC's call on T20 WC

AFP - SYDNEY

Australian organisers said postponing the men’s T20 World Cup cricket was “absolutely inevitable” after the coronavirus pandemic forced the tournament to be delayed by a year.

After months of uncer-tainty, Cricket Australia wel-comed the International Cricket Council’s decision, saying it provided clarity ahead of an upcoming home season which includes a blockbuster Test series against India.

Delaying the T20 World Cup also frees up a October-November slot in this year’s cricketing calendar which could be used to stage the Indian Premier League, pos-sibly in the United Arab Emirates.

However, it is not clear whether the T20 World Cup will now be held in Australia or India, who were origi-nally slated to hold the fol-lowing edition in 2021 -- which has been shifted to 2022.

COVID-19 has played havoc with international sport and CA acting chief executive Nick Hockley said there was no way Australia could host a 16-nation event with the pandemic still raging.

“I think the decision to postpone was absolutely inevitable,” he told reporters.

Under the new arrange-ments announced on Monday, either Australia or India will host the next T20 World Cup in October-November 2021, then the other nation will hold it in 2022. The 50-over World Cup in India, originally due to be played in March-April 2023, will be pushed back to October-November of that year, with the final on November 26.

ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney said moving back the 2023 World Cup avoided a fixture pile-up, which would have seen two major tournaments played within a few months of each other.

“It now just gives you a very clear gap between the various things, plus it helps us also make sure that we can plan the events... ensuring the health and safety for all the people con-cerned,” he said.

Hockley downplayed the impact of the changes on CA’s finances, saying this year’s T20 World Cup had merely been postponed, not cancelled.

“It’s been a challenging time for everyone... thank-fully, we’re not talking about losing any events at all,” he said. “It’s really a case of them being held off until we c a n s t a g e t h e m successfully.”

Root hails ‘Mr Incredible’ after Old Trafford winREUTERS - MANCHESTER

England all-rounder Ben Stokes’ Manchester masterclass has convinced captain Joe Root that the team are “in the presence of greatness” and that sky was the limit for “Mr Incredible”.

Stokes’ match haul of 254 runs and three wickets fashioned England’s series-levelling victory against West Indies in the second test on Monday, also earning him the player-of-the-match award.

“He’s Mr Incredible, I suppose,” Root said, comparing Stokes to the muscular cartoon superhero. “He looks a bit like him, and will probably end up the same shape too.

“I think the sky is the limit for him really, when you watch how he goes about things, there’s no reason why he can’t keep performing this consistently.”

Even in their four-wicket defeat in the series opener at South-ampton Stokes managed 89 runs and six wickets, leading the side while Root attended the birth of his second child.

“I think everyone understands that we are watching a player at the peak of his powers, at the peak of world cricket, delivering time and time again,” Root said.

“We have to savour that, we have to appreciate that and under-stand that we are - without trying to pump his tyres too much - in the presence of greatness.”

Stokes was also a key player for England last year, pushing them to a thrilling 50-overs World Cup final win and smashing an unbeaten century to ensure victory in an Ashes test against Australia at Headingley.

Root said the 29-year-old had added “different gears” to his game.

“Here he showed a bit more versatility really, within himself, and the fact that he’s more complete player now,” he added.

England’s Joe Root directs his field on the fourth day of the second Test cricket match between England and the West Indies at Old Trafford in Manchester on Monday.

Stokes overtakes WI star Holder to become the top-ranked Test all-rounder

REUTERS - LONDON

England vice-captain Ben Stokes’ match-winning performance in the second test against West Indies hoisted him above Windies skipper Jason Holder to become the top-ranked all-rounder in the game’s longest format, the Inter-national Cricket Council said yesterday.

Stokes followed up his 176 in the first innings with an unbeaten 78 in the second and also picked up three wickets in the contest to pull off a series-levelling win on Monday, earning the player-of-the-match award.

The 29-year-old overtook Holder in the latest rankings to become the first England player to reach the top spot since Andrew Flintoff in May 2006.

His moving average of 497 rating points, the highest of any Test all-rounder since South Africa great Jacques Kallis racked up 517 in April 2008, ended Holder’s 18-month reign at the top.

Stokes also climbed to a career-best third position among test batsmen, behind India’s Virat Kohli and Australia’s top-ranked Steve Smith.

Meanwhile, Stokes played down injury concerns ahead of the third test at Manchester starting on Friday, after he did not finish an over when bowling late on Monday.

“I felt very old this test match. The body started to feel really stiff,” Stokes told the BBC. “I asked Broady (Stuart Broad) and he said ‘Just stop’.

“I had the same thing against Pakistan three or four years ago and I didn’t want to take the risk. For once, I’ve made the sensible call and lis-tened to my body.”

Holder laments Windies’ lack of gritREUTERS - MANCHESTER

West Indies skipper Jason Holder bemoaned his team’s lack of grit in the second Test against England and felt their tentative batting allowed their opponents to level the series on Monday.

The tourists needed to bat out 85 overs on the final day to secure a draw but lasted 70.1 overs before succumbing to a 113-run defeat as England squared the series 1-1.

“English bowlers tend to bowl some long spells and we fought through pretty decent periods in the game but maybe (we need) a little bit more grit, a little bit more determination to get through one or two challenging spells,” Holder said after the loss at Old Trafford.

“More or less when we’ve found our-selves in challenging spells, we’ve suc-cumbed to it, probably at the end of a really good spell.”

“Too many of our batters got caught

on the crease, something that we’ve really got to pay a little bit more attention to,” Holder said. “On a surface like this you’ve really got to commit forward or back and into a position to make a good decision over whether to play or leave.”

Thanks to their victory at home last

year, West Indies need a draw in the decider, beginning at Old Trafford on Friday, to retain the Wisden Trophy.

“We’re here to fight, I’m sure the guys are really feeling this loss and we can go into this last game and give it our all,” Holder said.

West Indies’ Jason Holder walks back to the pavilion after losing his wicket for 35 during the final day of the second Test match against England at Old Trafford on Monday.

Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after scoring against Lazio during their Serie A match in Turin, Italy, on Saturday.

Ronaldo double puts Juventus on brink of titleAFP – TURIN

Cristiano Ronaldo moved Juventus to within one game of a ninth consecutive Serie A title on Monday after scoring twice in a 2-1 win over Lazio.

The reigning champions ended a three-match winless run thanks to Ronaldo’s second half brace that moves them eight points clear of second-placed Inter Milan with four games remaining.

Maurizio Sarri’s side could win the title on Thursday against lowly Udinese, or on Sunday at home against Sampdoria, depending on their

rivals’ results this week.Lazio’s hopes of a first Serie A title since 2000 are effectively over as the defeat

leaves them fourth, 11 points adrift of the leaders.

Ronaldo grabbed the first goal from the penalty spot just after the break and was handed a

tap-in three minutes later by teammate Paulo Dybala.

The Portuguese has scored 30 goals this season, equal with Lazio’s Ciro Immobile, who ended his three-match drought with a late penalty. His second was his 50th goal in Serie A.

The 35-year-old Portuguese is looking to become the first player to finish top scorer in three of the top five European leagues after doing so England and Spain.

“Records are always important, but the team victory is more important,” Ronaldo said to Sky Sport.

Just one point had separated Juventus from Lazio when Serie A returned last month following the three-month coronavirus lockdown.

But Simone Inzaghi’s side have been hit by injuries and poor form since the return, losing five of eight games, with four of those defeats coming in the last five matches. Both sides had early chances with Felipe Caicedo coming close early for the visitors behind closed doors at the Allianz Stadium, and an Alex Sandro header clipping the woodwork.

Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha got his hand to push an angled Adrien Rabiot over the bar with Ronaldo heading wide. An Immobile rocket from the edge of the box hit the bottom of the post with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny beaten.

Lazio could thank defender Manuel Lazzari for a goal-line clearance just after the break as Dybala threatened and Ronaldo tried to finish amid chaos in front of goal.

But the hosts got their chance when a Bastos handball was confirmed after a VAR review.

Ronaldo stepped up to slot in on 51 minutes and added a second after a Luiz Felipe blunder allowed Dybala to gain possession with the Argentine powering up the pitch, before teeing up the Portuguese to finish off. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner missed the chance of a hat-trick when his header hit the crossbar after 66 minutes.

Lazio pulled a goal back with seven minutes to go after a Bonucci foul on Immobile, who con-verted the resulting spot-kick. Juventus next travel to Udinese a day after Inter host Fiorentina.